Means for securing rails in place



G. ROUSSEL.

MEANS FOR SECURING RAILS IN PLACE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 192;.

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E1 I i Patented; Feb. 2B, 1922.

usarse stares GEORGE ROUSSEL, OF DONNER,'LOUISIANA.

MEANS roe sEcUnIne :sans In rLAcn To all whom 'it may concern; y

Be 1t known that I, Geenen RoUssEL, a citizen of the United States, residing vat Donner, in the parish oii'Terrebonne and State of Louisiana, haveinvented certain neu7 and useful improvements in Means 'for Securing- Rails in Place; and l do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which its appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in means for securing rails to Wooden cross ties.

The usual practice is to drive the spike into the tie at each side of therail and have one side ot the head of the spike engage the flange of the rail, but owing` to the heavy pressure that is brought on the rails there is a tendency of the rails to spring upwards after the Wheels of the train pass over `the roadbed, with the result that the spikes "gradually become loose and accidents are liable to occur. Moreover it is necessary to constantly inspect the roadbed to provide against accidents due to loose spikes.

According to my invention I provide an arrangement by Which it is impossible for the spikes to 'pull out of the cross tie incident to the normal operation of the road.

My invention corn-prises the combination with the rail oi. a rail plate supporting the same, spikes driven through openings lett in said rail plate andprovided with shout ders, and Wedges holding said shoulders in engagement with thc ui'edge plate, with means for locking these wedges against ac- Vcidental removal.

My inventionwill be more fully understood after reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by corresponding; symbols throughout the several views, and in which y *Figure l shows a cross section through the rail and rail plate, with one of the spikes and wedges shown in section, and the other in elevation, and with part of the Wooden cross tie shown in section, the parts being in the assembled position.

Figure 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but shows one of the spikes after it has been driven down in the tie, and just as the Wedge is abouty to be inserted. i

Figure 3 is an elevation of the spike showin the at back thereof.

igure 4 is an elevation of the spike from Specification of Letters Eatent.

resented ree. e1, ieee.

Application led September 9, 1921. Serial No. 499,374.l

the tront and showing the engaging shoulder; and

Figure 5 is a rear view oit the Wedge.

A represents the Wooden cross tie; B the rail plate which is provided With perforations b of somewhat `greater diameter at right angles to the Arail than is the maximum thickness of the body of the spike, as shown' most clearly in F ig. 2.

C represents the rail which may be of the usual or any desired construction, provided With the usual flanges c. Which rail rests upon the rail plate B.

represents a spike constructed according; to my invention, which spike is provided with the usual pointed tip Z to be conveniently driven into the Wood. The back of said spike is preferably fiat as at al, and at the upper end it is provided with a head Z2 projectingiiiivards towards the rail and inclined upwards slightly on itslower face, as at d3., Below this inclined face (Z3 is a transverse channel oli in thespikc, the lower edge of which is rounded by the shoulder (Z5 above the Wedge tace portion (Non the front ot the spike. By the front of the'spike I mean the side next the rail. and by the back ot the spike I mean the side away from the rail. A A

' In the back of the head of 4the spike l provide a recess @Z7 to engage the inner end f2 of the locldngvscreiv F. as will be hereinafter more fully described.l

Backof the spike. when in the assembled relation shoivn in 'Fig'. l. there is a Wedge E which has the lower driving` edge c and the head e', which is provided with a projecting boss ci' tocarry the internal screw threads c3 surrounding the opening e0. The head ofthe Wedge may beprovided with shoulders e* it desired.` y'

The screw' threads 7 of the screw F engage in these screw threads e3 and thisscrew is provided With a head f and with a point f2 -Which projects into the recess Z7 in the spike, when the parts are in the assembled position, as already described.

In order to assembled the parts the plate B is mounted in place on the cross tie A with the inner Wall b of its opening b in the same plane with the outer edge of the flange c of the rail, as shown in Fig'. 2, the spike is now driven down in place so that the shoulder d is just below the lower ends of the plate B, the plate then being in the position shown in Fig. 2. rllhen the Wedge E is driven down from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown, in Fig. l, and finally the locking screw F is screwed in until its point 7': projects into the recess (Z7. Atthis time the parts are inthe position shown to the left of F ig. l, and it will be seen that the shoulder (Z5 of the spike will engage below .the plate Brand will lock the spike against removal, while the screw bolt F will lock the wedge E against slipping up on the spike and allowing the spike toyield in the backward direction.

Thus it will be seen that I provide an absolutely positive and safe lock for each spike which will securely hold the spike against being raised out of the tie in the ordinary usage. to which such devices are applied.

In order to remove the spike, unscrew the bolt F, slide out the wedge E with any tool, such as a crowbar, engaging beneath the shoulders e4, then press the head of the spike backwards to clear the shoulder d5 from the bottom edge of the plate B, and when the spike is in the position shown in Fig. 2 it may be readily removed.

It will be obvious that various modifications Vmight be made in the particular shape and arrangement of the several parts which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as garticularly pointed out in the claims.

I aving thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is j l. In a rail fastening arrangemennthe combination with a flanged rail and a rail plate mounted above a cross tie and supporting'V the rail, said rail plate being provided with a laterally elongated opening, of a spike having its body portion of somewhat less diameter than said opening and provided with a laterally projecting head, a channel beneath the head, with a shoulder below said channel, the width of said channel being sufficient to engage the adjacent walls of the rail and of the opening, a wedge driven into said opening in rear of said spike, filling said opening and causing said shoulder to project-beneath the bottom of said plate, and means for locking said wedge against withdrawal relative to' said spike.

2. In a rail fastening arrangement, the

nel being sufficient to engage the adjacentV Y walls of the rail and of the opening, a wedge driven into said opening in rear of said spike, filling said opening and'cau'sing said shoulder to project beneath-the bottom of said plate, and aset screw passing through said wedge and engaging a recess insaid spike. Y 3. A rail fastening arrangement comprising a rail plate adapted to be mounted above a cross tie and to support a rail, said railY plate being provided with a: laterally elongated opening, a spike having its body portion of somewhat less diameter than said opening and provided with a laterally projecting head, a channel beneathrthe head,` withy a shoulder below said channel, the width of said channel being sufficient to engage the adjacent'walls of the rail and of the opening in the plate when the parts are assembled, a wedge adapted to be driven into said opening in rear of said spike and to cause said shoulder to project beneath the bottom of said plate, and means for locking said wedge againstV withdrawal relative to Y said spike. Y 4. A rail fastening arrangement comprising a rail plate adapted to be mounted above a cross tie and to support arail, said rail plate being provided with a laterally elongated opening, a spike having its body portion of somewhat less diameter than said opening and provided with a laterally projecting head, al channel beneath the head, with a shoulder below said channel, the width of said channel being sufficient to engage the adjacent walls of the rail and of 1D0 the opening in the plate when the parts are assembled, a wedge adapted to be driven into said opening in rear of said spike and to cause said shoulder toj project beneath the bottomof said plate, and a set screw passing through said wedge'and engaging a'recess in said spike.

. GEORGE ROUSSEL. j 

